Birding Tour Peru: Cusco, Machu Picchu and Apurímac Jewels

Our itinerary “Birding Tour Peru: Cusco, Machu Picchu and Apurímac Jewels” is designed to provide you with one of the best selections of endemic, range-restricted, and classic Andean species in one of the most popular and famous locations in South America and the world, Cusco – and in one week only. Cusco is visited by thousands of tourists every year due to its rich culture and archaeology, but few people know that the Cusco region also possesses a large number of different ecosystems and holds several endemic birds that are only found here.

Buff-fronted Owl (photo Alan van Norman) have been recorded in this area.

We will start our trip in Cusco, visiting the Huacarpay wetlands as an introduction to several Andean species and looking for our first endemic, Rusty-fronted Canastero. Then the trip will take us to the picturesque town of Ollantaytambo to stay at the comfortable Hotel Pakaritampu. The gardens of this beautiful, small hotel hold our second target of the day, the endemic Bearded Mountaineer. We will use the Hotel Pakaritampu as our base for the next three nights in order to explore the famous Abra Malaga Pass mountain area.

The Polylepis temperate forest is one of the most endangered ecosystems in the Andes, with only a few patches of forest remaining. We will spend a full day at the base of the snow-capped Veronica mountain, looking for the endemics White-browed Tit-Spinetail, Creamy-crested Spinetail, Junin Canastero, and White-tufted Sunbeam and for Ash-breasted Tit-Tyrant, Tawny Tit-Spinetail, and with luck the Critically Endangered (IUCN) Royal Cinclodes. Below the mountain pass the road descends into the cloudforest, where several flocks of mountain tanagers are often seen, including the endemic Parodi’s Hemispingus, and here we have our first chance for the endemics Inca Wren and Cuzco Brushfinch.

Delightful Torrent Ducks are often encountered on this tour.

After three nights in Ollantaytambo we will take a train to Aguas Calientes (now officially Machu Picchu Pueblo) and visit Machu Picchu. We will spend a couple of hours on the site for those who want to briefly visit and take pictures of the site, but, most importantly, we will have another chance for Inca Wren. Birding the lush tropical forest below Machu Picchu will provide also good chances for the endemic Masked Fruiteater and the range-restricted Slaty Tanager.

Finally, the Apurímac valley near Cusco provides excellent chances to add more endemic birds to the trip list, such as Apurimac Spinetail, Apurimac Brushfinch, Chestnut-breasted Mountain Finch, the localized Vilcabamba Tapaculo, and Koepcke’s Screech Owl. In addition to this amazing list of species you will be able to have close-up views of the majestic Andean Condor at the condor viewpoint at Chonta and a good opportunity for the mysterious Buff-fronted Owl.

This itinerary could easily be combined with custom dates for our Central Peru Tour, Northern Peru Tour, and Northern Ecuador Tour with one night in Lima required. Please ask us for details.

The scrub on the edge of Huacarpay Lake will be explored for Many-colored Rush Tyrant.